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More than 31,000 disbursements amounting to $1.5 billion have been made to micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) stakeholders, under the Government of Jamaica/Government of the Netherlands MicroFIN/JA Programme, over the last 10 years, State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Michael Stern, has disclosed. The MicroFIN/JA Programme, which falls under the Ministry's purview, focuses on extending credit to...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda has said the relocation of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica from its downtown offices to its current New Kingston site, will save taxpayers more than $1 million in rental costs annually. "This (was) a business decision and I want to re-emphasise the fact that this is a business Ministry and we...

Jamaica has become the first country in the Caribbean to acquire full International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 accreditation for certifying quality management systems. The National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ) recently attained official authorisation to provide internationally recognised certification for management systems in and outside of Jamaica. Manager of the Certification Unit at the NCBJ, Sheryl Mullings, speaking at...

The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is inviting charitable groups in Manchester to attend an amnesty interactive session tomorrow (Feb. 10) at the Golf View Hotel, 5

State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Michael Stern, says the Ministry is in the process of establishing a single entity that will focus on the needs of the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Speaking at a meeting of Board members of participating stakeholder agencies in the Government of Jamaica/Government of the Netherlands MicroFin-Jamaica Programme, held at the...

The level of improvement at Jamalco in 2009 was the highest among alumina refineries in Alcoa's Global Primary Products (GPP) network. This was announced by Alcoa's Executive Vice President and President of Alcoa's GPP Business Unit, Mr. Bernt Reitan, who led a high level team of Alcoa Executives on a visit to the Clarendon based bauxite and alumina facility, this...

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) received a total of 1,735 complaints from consumers for the period April to December 2009, representing a 35 per cent increase in the number of complaints over the similar period for 2008. Speaking with JIS News, Communication Specialist at the CAC, Miss Dorothy Campbell stated that of the 1,735 complaints received, 1,464 cases have been...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, has announced that the Government's efforts to divest its factory spaces has so far resulted in the sale of $43 million worth of property. Mr. Samuda told the House of Representatives yesterday (January 26), that the Factories Corporation of Jamaica was intended to be a developer of facilities, which would then...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon Michael Stern, says that the Government has remained committed to stimulating a culture of research to improve the nation's health, as well as its ability to generate investments and jobs. Mr. Stern said that the practical use of science, technology and innovation would be crucial to the success...

President of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Wayne Chen, has emphasised that teamwork must be maintained at the workplaces to ensure productivity. "The JEA is about making the employer/employee relationship as smooth as possible, because at the end of the day, all of our enterprises depend on efficient employees," he told the monthly meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce,...

Motor vehicle owners have another six weeks in which to clear approximately 350 damaged and over-aged vehicles that have piled up at the island's wharves. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, making the announcement at a press conference held at the Ministry in New Kingston today (December 22), said that the move was prompted by interest groups...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Mr. Reginald Budhan, has stressed the need for constant mapping of the creative industries to ensure that they can be developed and utilised for the benefit of the country. "We need constant mapping of our creative industries in order to facilitate policy making, assess their potential and identify those creative...